Before the French Revolution, French Society was divided into three classes- First Estate i.e.
the Clergy, Second Estate i.e. Mobility and Third Estate i.e. the General Public :
- The First Estate included the Clergy. They did not pay any taxes. They were on the higher posts even without having the ability.
- The Second Estate included major Nobles who had large pieces of land.
- The Third Estate included lawyers, doctors, teachers etc. They did not get any of the higher posts even if they had the ability to do so.
- Common public was also included in this. They had to pay taxes to the state as well as to the Church. They had to do begar and were exploited from many years.